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Phar lap
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Joined: 20 Jun 2003
Posts: 1006
Location: A flawed Utopia
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 Posted: 10/11/04 - 19:40 Post subject: The other side of the marathon.
In what has become somewhat of an annual tradition, members of our Athletic Club decended on Beach Road near Red Bluff and got stuck into the task of setting up the 25km. drink station
. Six trestle tables, signs and bunting. Our large drink containers had to be filled from a tap across the road and carried back to where numerous bags of sports drink powder had to be stired in.
With the first runner almost due, we had about 800 cups set up with water, 200 with electrolyte replacement drinks. It was about this time I heard someone yell "Hey Phar lap" as a group of cyclists rode by.
Can you guess who?
A marathoner, born in Northen Ireland, emigrated to Oz age 13.
I'll give further clues if none of you get it.
After the faster runners had gone through, things started to get hetic as the middle to slower bunch began to decend upon us. Drinks were going at a rapid rate and we were rushing back and forth across the road negotiting runners and cycling traffic going in the other direction to refill our large drink containers.
A point of intrest is the fact that the faster to mid range runners went straight for the water while the rear of the main bunch prefered the sports drinks. Finally when the tailenders came through, water had returned to the favourite beverage. Is there a scientific theory to all this?
As the last runners came by we were left with the task of cleaning up about 2,000 odd plastic cups streched out over 400m. section of road. Armed with rakes and garbage bags we had it cleaned up much quicker than we had thought and we soon had the tables signs and bunting made up and stowed away in the pick up van.
Jut prior to the clean up, a rather pompous woman ; you know the type, bottle blond, six inches of make-up wound down the window of her BMW and abused us for making such a mess that she claimed would end up floating in Port Phillip Bay!!! If she was to ever venture out of her rarefied atmosphere, she may be interested to know that volunteer labour picked up each and every cup and several more peices of litter that had been there long before marathon day. The place was spotless when we left.
Ultimatly, it was rewarding to see the marathon from the other side and in some small way assist fellow runners to achieve their personal goals.
Wether they achieved their goals on the day or not the thing is, they had the gut's to commit themselves to the training, something most people could not even dream about.
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